Shoe-lace fastener



' Sept 4, 1923. 1,466,673

J. SOLOMON ET AL SHOE LACE FASTENER Filed May 5, 121

a 1 poento'z Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

UNi-TED TES 1 1,466,673 PATENT oFFicE JULIUS soLoIvIoN, or OBERLIN, AND. onnno. 11mm, or cLnvE a D, onio.

' sHon noE resrnnnn.

Application filed May 3,

To all whomit may concern." I

Be it known that we, JULrUs. SOLOMON and Oman C. B1Lr.1\rAN,citiZenS of; the; United States, residing, respectively, at Oberlin and Cleveland, in the counties of Lorain and shoe lace fasteners, the improved fasteners being particularly designed as a substitute for and an lmprovement on, the commonly employed shoe lace eyelets and, hooks used on the front or lacing flaps of shoes, boots, and the like. l The primary object of the invention is: to

provide a generally improved fastener of this class, which will be exceedingly simplein construction, cheap of manufacture, and

efiicient in use. a

A further and very important object is to provide a fastener embodying a combined eyelet and shoe hook, such fastener being adapted to be used either as: an eyelet or as a shoe hook and presenting a 'unifo-rm attractive appearance on the shoe; flaps which will be particularly free from projections liable to catch on clothing as isthe case with the ordinary shoe hook.

\Vith the above mentioned and other ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangei'nent, and combination of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in some of its embodiments in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1, is a front -view of the front or lacing flaps'of an ordinary shoe equipped with my improved fasteners and illustrating one way in which .same may be used as combined shoe lacing eyelets and hooks.

Fig. 2, a side elevation of one of the fasteners in use as an eyelet.

Fig. 3, a central longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 4:, a side elevation of the same taken from the open or eyelet'side of the same.

Fig. 5, a top plan view of the same, a

portion of the head being broken away, and

1921. Serial No. 466,390.

Fig. 6, a side elevation of a modified form of same.

Fig. 7, a sectional view of the same, detached.

Fig. 8, a side elevation of the same at right angles to the. position shown in, Fig. 6.

Fig. 9, a side elevationfof a further modifiedform of same. I

Fig.10, a cross sectional view of same.

Fig. 11, a top or end view of a still fur.

ther modified form as applied to the shoe fia as.

Fig. 12, a front elevation of the same, a

portion of the head being broken away for the purpose of clearerillustration of the parts. I

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

suitable and convenient construction and the fastener membersand lacing 2, may be arranged in any suitable and convenient manner, as for example,as shown in Fig. 1, of the drawings.

For the purpose of illustration one of the lower pairs of fasteners is shown in section to illustrate the transverse lace receiving opening or eyelet and the manner in which the base loop of the lacing may be passed therethrough in the initial insertion of a new shoelace. I I I For the purpose of illustration the fastener elements are enlarged in Figs. 2 to 12 inclusive.

The improved fastener is preferably formed of a single piece of metal as'shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, and Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, of the drawings, but if desired, may be formed of a separate shank with a separate head asshown in Figs. 6 to 8, in-

clusive, of the drawings.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the fastener is formed from a single piece of metal through the. medium of suitable dies, or as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings maybe cast from suitable material as in die casting, and the like. I

The improved fastener embodying a combined shoehook and eyelet comprises a suitable shank 3, provided at one end with a suitable fastening orattaching base 3 of anysuitableand convenient form adapted to extend. beneath the lacing flap 1, said shank terminating at its outer end in a head The front or lacing flaps i, may be of any ient manner.

The eyelet 3, in the tubular form of shank shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings may be formed by struck out flange members 3*, extendin inwardly toward each other and across the diameter of the shank thereby forming rounded wear "openings for the shoe lacings, or if desired,

the fastener may be formed as a suitable casting through die casting or the like, in which event, the eyelet 3 ma 1 be formed therein or bored out after the casting operation. be formed separate from the head member as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings, in which instance, the shank may be formed of a suitable stamping comprising a base member and spaced shank members 3, and 3, forming the lace receiving opening or eyelet 3, terminating in anchor prongs 3 embedded in the composition head as shown more clearly in Fig. 7, of the drawings. If desired a second clamping flange or collar may be provided to cooperate with the fastener base 3, and clamping to the intervening flap, said second attaching member being either formed as a separate collar 3, as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings or integral therewith as a second flange 3 as shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings.

If desired, however, the shank may Referring to the modification shown in Figs. 11, and 12, of the drawings, it will be seen that the transverse opening or eyelet 3, is arranged slightly one side of the shank portion 3, and mat the opening or eyelet 8, is formed by means of a curved web portion 3 extending from the inner side of the head 3 to the attaching flange 3*, the curved eyelet 3 in this instance, being vertical y arranged on the inner side of the fastener and the hook forming portion 3 being on the outer side of the shank so that in this instance the eyelet extends vertically with respect to the inner side of the lacing flap instead of transversely as shown in F l, of the drawings.

H ving thus described some of the embediments of our invention, without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be made or all t 1e modes of its use, what we claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

l. A combined shoe hook and eyelet, comprising hook forming head and a shank provided with a transverse eyelet below and protected by said head and terminating in a fastener base.

2. A shoe lace fastener, comprising a shank provided with a transverse eyelet and terminating in'a hook forming flanged head arranged above the axial plane of said erelet.

3. A shoe lace fastener, comprisinga shank provided with a transverse eye and terminating in a flanged head above the latter forming a lace receiving hook at one side of said shank and eye, said fastener being adapted to be used interchangeably as a shoe hook or as an eyelet.

In testimony whereof we have flillXQCl our signatures. I

JULIUS SOLOMON. OBED C. BILLMAN. 

